Mrs. Ellison then, casting a look of great indig nation at both the ladies, made a short speech full of invectives against Mrs. Atkinson, and not without oblique hints of ingratitude against poor Amelia ; after which she burst out of the room, and out of the house; and made haste to her own home, in a condition of mind, to which fortune without guilt cannot, I believe, reduce any one.

Indeed, how much the superiority of misery is on the side of wickedness, may appear to every reader who will compare the present situation of Amelia, with that of Mrs. Ellison. Fortune had attacked the former with almost the highest degree of her malice. She was involved in a scene of most exquisite distress; and her husband, her principal comfort, torn violently from her arms; yet her sorrow, however exquisite, was all soft and tender; nor was she without many consolations. Her case, however hard, was not absolutely desperate; for scarce any condition of fortune can be so. Art and industry, chance and friends, have often relieved the most distressed circumstances, and converted them into opulence. In all these she had hopes on this side the grave, and perfect virtue and innocence gave her the strongest assurances on the other. Whereas, in the bosom of Mrs. Ellison, all was storm and tempest; anger, revenge, fear, and pride, like so many raging furies, possessed her mind, and tortured her with disappointment and shame. Loss of reputation, which is generally irreparable, was to be her lot; loss of friends is of this the certain consequence; all on this side the grave appeared dreary and comfortless; and endless misery on the other, closed the gloomy prospect.

Hence, my worthy reader, console thyself, that however few of the other good things of life are thy lot; the best of all things, which is innocence, is always within thy own power; and though fortune

may make thee often unhappy, she can never make thee completely and irreparably miserable without thy own consent.

CHAP. IV.

Containing, among many Matters, the exemplary Bebaviour of Colonel James.

WHEN Mrs. Ellison was departed, Mrs. Atkinson began to apply all her art to sooth and comfort Amelia; but was presently prevented by her; I am ashamed, dear madam,' said Amelia, of having indulged my affliction so much at your $ expence. The suddenness of the occasion is my only excuse; for had I had time to summon my resolution to my assistance, I hope I am mistress of more patience than you have hitherto seen me exert. I know, madam, in my unwarrantable excesses, I have been guilty of many transgressions. First, against that divine will and pleasure without whose, permission, at least, no human acci'dent can happen; in the next place, madam, if any thing can aggravate such a fault, I have transgressed the laws of friendship as well as decency, in throwing upon you some part of the load of my grief; and again, I have sinned against common sense, which should teach me, instead of weakly and heavily lamenting my misfortunes, to rouse all my spirits to remove them. In this light, I 'ani shocked at my own folly, and am resolved to ⚫ leave my children under your care, and go directly. to my husband. I may comfort him. I may assist him. I may relieve him. There is nothing 6 now too difficult for me to undertake.'

Mrs. Atkinson greatly approved and complimented her friend on all the former part of her

speech, except what related to herself, on which she spoke very civilly, and I believe with great truth; but as to her determination of going to her husband she endeavoured to dissuade her, at least she begged her to defer it for the present, and till the serjeant returned home. She then reminded Amelia that it was now past five in the afternoon, and that she had not taken any refreshment but a dish of tea the whole day, and desired she would give her leave to procure her a chick, or any thing she liked better, for her dinner.

Amelia thanked her friend, and said, she would sit down with her to whatever she pleased; but if I do not eat,' said she, I would not have you impute it to any thing but want of appetite; for I assure you, all things are equally indifferent to me. I am more solicitous about these poor little things, who have not been used to fast so long. Heaven knows what may hereafter be their fate!" Mrs. Atkinson bid her hope the best, and then recommended her children to the care of her maid.

And now arrived a servant from Mrs. James, with an invitation to captain Booth and to his lady, to dine with the colonel the day after the next. This a little perplexed Amelia; but after a short consideration she dispatched an answer to Mrs. James, in which she concisely informed her of what had happened.

The honest serjeant, who had been on his legs almost the whole day, now returned, and brought Amelia a short letter from her husband; in which he gave her the most solemn assurances of his health and spirits, and begged her with great earnestness, to take care to preserve her own; which, if she did, he said, he had no doubt but that they should shortly be happy. He added something of hopes from my lord, with which Mrs. Ellison had amused him; and which served only to destroy the comfort that AmeJia received from the rest of his letter.

Whilst Amelia, the serjeant, and his lady, were

engaged in a cold collation, for which purpose a cold chick was procured from the tavern for the ladies, and two pound of cold beef for the serjeant ; a violent knocking was heard at the door, and presently afterwards colonel James entered the room. After proper compliments had passed, the colonel told Amelia, that her letter was brought to Mrs. James while they were at table, and that on her shewing it him, he had immediately rose up, made an apology to his company, and took a chair to her. He spoke to her with great tenderness on the occasion, and desired her to make herself easy; assuring her, that he would leave nothing in his power undone to serve her husband. He then gave her an invitation, in his wife's name, to his own house, in the most pressing manner.

Amelia returned him very hearty thanks for all his kind offers; but begged to decline that of an apartment in his house. She said, as she could not leave her children, so neither could she think of bringing such a trouble with her into his family; and though the colonel gave her many assurances that her children, as well as herself, would be very welcome to Mrs. James, and even betook himself to intreaties, she still persisted obstinately in her refusal.

In real truth, Amelia had taken a vast affection for Mrs. Atkinson, of the comfort of whose company she could not bear to be deprived in her distress; nor to exchange it for that of Mrs. James, to whom she had lately conceived no little dislike.

The colonel, when he found he could not prevail with Amelia to accept his invitation, desisted from any farther solicitations. He then took a bank-bill of fifty pounds from his pocket-book, and said• You will pardon me, dear madam, if I choose to impute your refusal of my house rather to a dislike of my wire, who I will not pretend to be the 'most agreeable of women (all men,' said he, sigh

any

ing, have not captain Booth's fortune) than to aversion or anger to me. I must insist upon it, therefore, to make your present habitation as easy to you as possible-I hope, madam, you will ⚫ not deny me this happiness; I beg you will honour me with the acceptance of this trifle. He then put the note into her hand, and declared that the 'honour of touching it was worth a hundred times

that sum.'

"I protest, colonel James,' cried Amelia, blushing, I know not what to do or say, your goodness 'so greatly confounds me. Can I who am so well acquainted with the many great obligations Mr. Booth already hath to your generosity, consent • that you should add more to a debt we never can pay?

6.

The colonel stopped her short, protesting that she misplaced the obligation; for that if to confer the highest happiness was to oblige, he was obliged to her acceptance. And I do assure you, madam,' said he, if this trifling sum, or a much larger, can 'contribute to your ease, I shall consider myself as ⚫ the happiest man upon earth, in being able to supply it; and you, madam, my greatest benefactor in receiving it.'

Amelia then put the note in her pocket; and they entered into a conversation, in which many civil things were said on both sides; but what was chiefly worth remark was, that Amelia had almost her husbarid constantly in her mouth, and the colonel never mentioned him; the former seemed desirous to lay all obligations, as much as possible, to the account of her husband; and the latter endeavoured, with the utmost delicacy, to insinuate that her happiness was the main and indeed only point which he had in view.

Amelia had made no doubt, at the colonel's first appearance, but that he intended to go directly to her husband. When he dropped therefore a hint of